


The Way It All Went Down

by notsodarling



Series: no more keepin' score [11]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Communication, Friendship, Gen, Post Episode 2x13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:22:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28581948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notsodarling/pseuds/notsodarling
Summary: Alex & Maria have a little chat about Michael.
Relationships: Alex Manes & Maria DeLuca
Series: no more keepin' score [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057037
Comments: 20
Kudos: 44





	The Way It All Went Down

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything that's just Maria and Alex since [It Was Bound to Happen (So Just Keep Movin' On)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22719172), which is a tragedy. So here's a little something, of the two of them, just being friends.
> 
> title from "closure" by Taylor Swift

"Why did you call me? Guerin's the one who can fix anything-"

"Because I called you, okay?"

Alex pauses where he's standing on the other side of the bar, a bit taken aback by the tone in Maria's voice. Something's got her annoyed, is putting her on edge.

There's a tap that's loose, luckily just the one for the water, but Alex doesn't even know where to begin with trying to fix something like that. He's got experience with computers, and minimal knowledge about cars due to his time in the Middle East, but this is way beyond his skill set.

"Maria?"

Shes doesn't look at him, and he watches as she slams her hand on the counter, not hard enough to hurt, but obviously done out of frustration. He doesn't push, just slides into one of the stools, and waits, giving her the space he know she needs right now to collect herself. She'll tell him what's wrong, she always does - that's how it's always been between them. Maybe they've occasionally kept secrets, maybe they've sometimes been slow to let the other in on the full truth, but in all their years of friendship, Alex can't think of a time where they haven't been one another's biggest confidant.

"I broke up with him - with Guerin."

It's not the admission he was expecting.

And honestly, he'd been surprised she was even at the Pony working - she'd only been discharged from the hospital the day before, having made a full recovery quite quickly thanks to Liz's serum for the aliens.

Alex shakes his head at the reminder that Maria is actually part-alien. Hadn't that just been one huge surprise for everyone, but most of all her? Knowing that now, he's tried to not focus on the future, on if she's going to deteriorate like Mimi, because he doesn't know how he'll handle it.

Losing her is going to hurt terribly.

"Why?"

It's the only question he can think of. She and Michael have been happy, they've seemed to have something good going. He just hoped-

"Alex," she replies, her voice soft. "Come on."

He shakes his head, refusing to accept that. It's absolute insanity that she would break up with Michael because of what he had with Michael once.

"I don't want you to sacrifice your happiness for me."

Her smile is sad, barely a twitch up of her lips. "He loves you. I know you think things have been over, but I can see it. He looks at you like you're the only one in the room, Alex. He dropped everything when he realized you were missing."

"No," he argues. "He'd do the same for you."

She takes a deep breath, leaning forward on the counter in front of him, taking his hands in her own, and giving it a squeeze that he thinks is supposed to be comforting, but his mind is still stuck on her breaking up with Michael for no reason.

"He said the same thing. And it's not that I don't believe him," her eyes are on their hands, and Alex focuses on the feeling of her fingers dancing along the back. "But I know he's never going to love anyone else, even me, as much as he loves you."

He hates this. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Even if he and Michael do, some day in the future, manage to make things work, why can't they all be happy now? Enjoy whatever happiness they can find, even if it means other people.

"Why do you have so much faith that Michael and I will be okay?"

Finally, Maria looks up, letting go of his hands, and reaching up to tap his chin.

"You forgot, I can see the future now."

Alex laughs. "What happened to _no spoilers_?"

"About my own future, not yours. You deserve to be happy, Alex."

He rolls his eyes. "And what if I already am?"

But he knows she can see through him, see past the bravado to the truth how he's been worried for quite some time that he's pushed Michael away one too many times. Walked away, refused to try and make it work between them. It doesn't matter how much his heart wants to be able to feel what it's like to kiss Michael again, touch him again - his brain reminds him he may never get the chance.

"If you say so," she replies, reaching up and ruffling his hair. He catches sight of himself in the mirror at the back of the bar, and doesn't hate how he looks, maybe even prefers it to how he's been wearing his hair recently.

It looks good on him.

"Now, how about you go sit up there and sing me this song everyone keeps talking about."

He freezes, and she raised an eyebrow, not missing a beat.

"You heard about it?"

"It's my bar! Of course I did! Heard you also made out with Forrest right after."

They're both smiling, and Maria's laughter fills the empty bar, and Alex realizes how absolutely relieved he is that she is alive, that her reckless behavior in trying to get rid of Flint's bomb didn't end in her not being around anymore.

"You know it's about-"

She rolls her eyes in dramatic fashion, her whole body dramatizing the movement. "About Michael, yes, I know. Now sing, please!"

And who is he to refuse a request from his best friend? Alex makes his way up to the where the stage is still set, the keyboard still there because the Pony had been closed today. He sits in the familiar spot, glancing down at Maria, who's taken a seat in one of the stools at the bar, and smiles, his fingers running over the keys, the opening notes of the song ringing out around them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
